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Juanan pens contract extension, set to stay at Bengaluru till 2020

Juanan has arguably been the biggest reason behind the Blues' defensive solidity this season.

Bengaluru FC’s Spanish defender Juanan Gonzalez has put pen to paper in a new deal that will keep him with the Blues till the end of the 2020 season, the club announced on Saturday.

The former Real Madrid B player who came in as part of Albert Roca’s plans in 2016, has been a mainstay in defence. His performances have been consistent and assured in seasons where Bengaluru won the Federation Cup and had two very successful years in the AFC Cup.

“I am very happy to extend my stay at a club that is special for me. I have enjoyed two very good years at Bengaluru FC and there is a lot of ambition on this team which is why I didn’t hesitate to sign a new contract the moment the opportunity came. We are in the semifinal of the ISL and are targeting success at the AFC Cup where we have come close on two occasions. Also, the fans and this city has been so welcoming and it’s made the decision to stay very simple for me and family,” said Gonzalez.

The Spaniard becomes the second player to pen a new deal after Bengaluru announced that defender Rahul Bheke would spend the next three years in the blue of Bengaluru.

Gonzalez and Johnson have forged a solid partnership at the back around which Roca has built his defence. The Blues, while amassing a record 40 points in the league stages of the ISL, have done so while conceding only 16 times making their the second best defensive record so far this season in the ISL. Gonzalez scored his first goal for the club in the famous 3-1 victory over JDT at the Kanteerava that sent Bengaluru to the AFC Cup final in 2016. The 30-year-old was on target once in the ISL too, nodding home in Bengaluru’s 2-1 over NorthEast United at home.